On Sunday, December 10, the phrase “Don’t search Neon Brown” began trending on TikTok after users from all over the world banned together, warning unsuspecting people not to fall for a trap set by an account posting NSFW explicit content.
TikTok, a platform launched in 2016 as a portal for harmless, quirky, and humorous content, has recently become a landmine with sinister viral challenges and disturbing trends. While the app’s algorithm filters out content that violates the platform’s adult content guidelines, clout chasers occasionally bypass the filters and work around rules to gain viral views.
“Don’t Search Neon Brown” is the most recent addition to TikTok’s disturbing trends. The phrase began trending on TikTok after TikTokers began warning other users about the account @neon.brown1, which was posting bawdy crude, and inappropriate thumbnails that also included deep fakes of certain celebrities.
As horrified TikTokers warned other users to avoid the content, the account, which had only been active for a day, sparked massive interest simply by piquing their interest with reactions and memes advising them to avoid the page. Within a few hours, people began to swarm accounts, warning others not to watch the account’s NSFW content.
How “Don’t Search Neon Brown” became popular on the internet
Crude NSFW content posted by the account @neon.brown1 has sparked a new online trend, with horrified users creating memes and reaction videos warning others to “Don’t search Neon Brown.” While TikTok moderators are usually good at moderating adult content, this account managed to get around the rules for a few hours.
The trend warning people not to look for the account did not have the desired effect. Instead, it resulted in a massive influx of followers in a short period of time. According to the comments on TikTok, people apparently discovered the explicit content page after users began making videos and reactions warning others to avoid the account. The posts received hundreds of thousands of plays, likes, and shares, causing the phrase to go viral.
This isn’t the first time TikTok moderators have messed up, allowing users to upload and access NSFW content online easily. Around the same time in 2022, a series of slideshow posts with adult content and nudity began making the rounds on TikTok for a few days before being removed.
In light of the latest controversy, TikTok user @jade_harley0 even made a reference to the previous year’s incident, saying, “Don’t search neon brown is gonna be this year’s incident.” However, this did not stop viewers from searching the term online, resulting in a new trend.
